


You Came Back

by Ashesintheair



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-24
Updated: 2015-04-24
Packaged: 2018-03-25 13:41:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 497
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3812614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashesintheair/pseuds/Ashesintheair
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sansa Stark was nowhere in sight, but there were plenty of The Brotherhood. Jaime discovers the bind that Brienne is in too late, but there may be a loophole that even Lady Stoneheart has to respect.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Came Back

She had left him on his knees, figuratively and literally. Jaime Lannister was not one to admit weakness, but there was precious little he could use as leverage in his current situation.

He had been led like a meek lamb to the slaughter and had spent what would probably be his last minutes cursing the great cow of a woman until he had run out of words. Sansa Stark was nowhere to be seen, the outlaws - the Brotherhood or whatever they were calling themselves this week - were plentiful.

They had shoved a man and a boy - the squire, Podrick, he thought - at Brienne and she had slunk away, avoiding his eyes.

After he had finished cursing her, he started on himself. How could he have been so stupid? What in seven hells possessed him to skip merrily after her like a maid picking flowers? And it stung, oh it stung like a thousand invisible wounds. He had _trusted_ her. Brienne; the only person who seemed worthy of trust, who was too fond of honour and songs. What had broken her so thoroughly that she had forgotten all of that?

His resistance, such as it was, had been short, ugly and easily ended with a blow to the stomach. He spat blood into the grass as the shadowed figure moved forward at last.

The dappled light played over the face of the woman who had been Catelyn Stark. She didn’t waste time in recriminations. She pointed at the waiting noose and her mob cheered.

“Wait! Trial by combat.”

Jaime twisted at the voice and caught a flash of blue armour before the lanky one who had forced him to his knees kicked him hard, pitching him into the mud.

“You came back,” he managed, finding his way back up.

Brienne focused on Lady Stoneheart. “It’s the law. You must allow it. A trial in sight of gods and men. Ask her! Say it, Jaime.”

He just stared stupidly at her and thought abstractedly of Brienne in the ridiculous pink dress. “Trial by combat,” he croaked, after Brienne kicked him lightly in the shin. Lady Stoneheart’s expression was fixed, but the hate burned hot in her eyes. It was long moments before she gave a single, unwilling nod.

“You stupid wench, you were well away. What possessed you to come back for this? I thank you for the chance to die with a sword in my hand, but-”

“Ask for a champion,” she said firmly.

“I don’t need a-”

“You’re missing your sword hand. You’re entitled to it. Ask!” There was a ferocity in her that he hadn’t seen since they had fought that day by the river. Understanding crept in slowly and he realised why the odd image of Brienne in a dress had come to him.

“You’ve jumped in the bear pit. Gods, you had better not die for me.”

“Just say it, Lannister.”

“Lady Catelyn?” He cleared his throat. “It appears that I need a champion."


End file.
